Company Retreat – Handbook

Every 12 months or so, we gather at the Human Made company retreat. Previous locations have included the UK, Norway, Bulgaria, Spain, Slovakia, Italy and Sri Lanka. They used to take place immediately after WordCamp Europe but since 2017 the retreat is no longer scheduled alongside WCEU.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE COMPANY RETREAT

The company retreat is an opportunity for everyone to get together and get some much needed time together. Some of the things that you can expect at the retreat are:

  • Flash talks: every human gives a 3 minute flash talk. This is usually something unrelated to work and can be about anything you want, see these two posts from the 2020 Virtual Retreat for more info and inspiration: ? post 1 and
    ? post 2.
  • Hack projects: we work on projects together throughout the week.
  • State of the Humans: Tom, Joe and Noel present on where the company is and where it’s going.
  • Outings: we will arrange some excursions so you can see some of the local area.

In between, you’ll have time to hang out with each other and get to know one another better.

RETREAT PLANNING

Arrangements for the 2020 2022 retreat in Greece are underway. You can follow along in #retreat-planning in Slack and on the /retreat repo in GitHub. If you have any questions, please message @daisy in the #retreat channel.

FAQS

If the retreat is held before or after a conference, do I have to attend that conference?

Nope. Attendance at any conference is not obligatory. You can just attend the retreat.

Are partners/children invited to the retreat?

As this is a retreat focused on work, it is for Human Made staff only. We would love to be able to welcome all of your families, but things would get expensive and we would lose the focus on work. The only exception is breastfeeding mothers, who are able to bring their baby so they can continue breastfeeding.

What should I bring?

Clothes, swimwear, toiletries, travel documents, and any other travel necessities. Your work laptop and anything essential for setting up your workstation.

Will I have to share a room?

At the 2022 retreat in Greece, no.

At some retreats, room sharing helps us to keep costs down but is not mandatory or expected. You will be asked if you are willing to share a room before we go ahead with any bookings. At the 2019 retreat in Sri Lanka, room sharing was not required.

If I need a visa to travel, can I expense costs related to acquiring it?

Yes you can.

Is transport from the airport to the retreat venue/hotel arranged by the company or do I need to arrange?

Assuming you are arriving (and departing) on the standard retreat dates, the retreat organisers organise airport transfers and share details a week or so before the retreat.